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27 Jan 2014

Plans For new Nuclear Development at Oldbury

This is a press release from STAND which we are sharing because the Green Party does not believe reliance on nuclear power to be the way forwards.

Artist's impression of proposed nuclear power station at Oldbury (based on plans published by Horizon

Plans For new Nuclear Development at Oldbury will
have appalling impact on local area say local groups.

Stroud directly downwind from massive new nuclear
plant.

DJs Stroud Calling and the Blue Moon Collective to hold
benefit roadshow in support of campaign group on
Saturday 1st February.

A roadshow organised by STAND (Severnside Together Against
Nuclear Development) will be held at The Market Tavern,
Union Street, Stroud, on Saturday, 1st February at 7.30.
STAND say they will produce evidence that a proposed
nuclear power plant to be built at Oldbury on Severn is
unnecessary, unsafe, dangerous to health and a hugely
expensive method of producing electricity; and that
a leading international statistician and epidemiologist
has calculated that there is a one in 300 chance of a
serious Fukushima type accident at the nuclear power
station.

There will also be a talk from Dennis Hayden, a nuclear
test veteran, about the dangers to health from routine
low-level radiation releases from nuclear power stations

The audience can ask questions and voice their opinions on
a proposal which, STAND claim, could have enormous
implications for the whole area.

After the talk there will be music from DJs Stroud
Calling and the Blue Moon Collective. There is no charge
for admission.

Hitachi, probably best known in this country for its
televisions, has joined forces with Horizon to produce a
huge new nuclear power plant at Oldbury on Severn. They
plan to build 3 or 4 huge new reactors next to the old
power station which will produce 8 times the electricity
of the old station.

The new nuclear plants will be just a few miles as the
crow flies from Stroud, which is well within the
evacuation zone imposed after the Fukushima disaster
and directly downwind from the prevailing south
westerlies. They will be using the new Advanced Boiling
Water Reactors which have been approved in the USA but
not yet in any other country. The advantage of this type
of reactor is that they can be built quickly.

Given the ongoing environmental disaster at Fukushima,
Japan, some local environmentalists are concerned about
the safety of any Nuclear development here in the UK. But
with this particular proposal there are extra concerns.

Barbara French of Severnside Together Against Nuclear
Development (STAND) claims that it is utter folly to
consider building a new nuclear station on the site.

"With rising sea levels, and the history of a tsunami and
a sea surge of 3 meters above normal high tide up the
Severn, it is madness to be building on that site"
she said. "It can only be a matter of time before it
suffers a catastrophic flood, one way or another. Should
there be a serious accident, the experience of Chernobyl
in the Ukraine, and more recently Fukishima in
Japan, shows that not only Stroud but Gloucester, Bristol
and surrounding areas would be uninhabitable, perhaps
for ever. And, unlike in Japan, there appear to be no
plans at all to protect the local population should there
be an accident. "

Another concern is the size of the development. "They say
that plans produced by Horizon show the intended reactor
size will be 4 times the size of the present reactor
building", said Barbara French, "and on top of that,
the three or four cooling towers will be absolutely
enormous and an eyesore. According to Horizon’s own report
it will even be visible from Stroud and
surrounding areas". [See artist's impression based on
Horizons own plans]

"Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day I can hear her breathing."Arundhati Roy

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I note that these blogs entries may not be the views of the Green Party, but could be considered campaign material during an election. It must therefore be noted they are printed by, promoted by and on behalf of the Stroud District Green Party, 2 The Laurels, Bread Street, Ruscombe, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL6 6EL.